Flexible Hinge Type Baffle Panel for Bottom Ash Hopper Water Seal Trough Protection

ABSTRACT

A flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection is made up of several baffle plates arranged vertically and horizontally with each other, forming several baffle columns which are positioned next to each other to cover a water seal trough in a coal burning power plant from damage due to impact from clinker debris. In each of the baffle columns, a several hinge interfaces hingedly connects the baffle plates to each other in series, allowing the columns to be raised or folded into themselves to facilitate inspection and maintenance.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/835,699 filed on Jun. 17, 2013.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to power plants. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for protecting water seal troughs in coal burning power plants against damage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the modern world, technology is everywhere. At any given time, a person probably has in their field of view an object that was manufactured at a factory. Computers, cell phones, cars, and even to a large extent the food many people eat has been part of a lengthy production line. Many things are required to produce the finished products we see today, such as manpower and infrastructure, but possibly the most important piece of modern production is power. Many different types of machines are utilized in the manufacturing and packaging of a product, and they all require mechanical work to accomplish their goal. Some machines are entirely mechanical, such as a simple steam engine, but in the modern world most machines depend on electrical components and power to achieve optimal functioning as well. Electrical power is also integral to virtually all aspects of life in developed countries, with applications from refrigerating food to operating televisions, computers, radios, and other appliances, to operating traffic signals, among many others.

Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy. The fundamental principle of electricity generation is known as Faraday's law, and it can be used to generate electricity by the movement of a loop of wire or disc of copper between the poles of a magnet. This method of converting mechanical energy into electricity can be utilized in a number of different ways, including utilizing falling water or human power to turn a turbine, using a combustion engine to turn a crank, or other methods.

A power station or power plant is an industrial facility for the generation of electrical power which is then distributed to various areas for use by an electrical transmission grid. There are many types of power plants, such as those that burn fuels such as coal, oil or natural gas, power plants that use nuclear power and plants that harness renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, wave and hydroelectric power.

In coal burning plants, coal is burned within a boiler or furnace. A bottom ash hopper, also known as a slag pit or bottom ash pit, at the bottom of the boiler collects bottom ash, which is part of the non-combustible residue produced by combustion. Due to extreme temperatures, the structure of the boiler and the bottom ash hopper may expand significantly at times. To account for this, a water seal trough acts as an expansion joint between the boiler and the bottom ash hopper. Another part of the water seal trough is a plate that hangs vertically in the middle of the water seal trough, which is engineered to expand downwards when hot and contact the floor of the water seal trough, preventing air from getting into the system. Fly ash, another residue of combustion in the boiler, builds up over time within the boiler and forms slag on the side walls of the boiler. When the slag builds up and becomes heavy enough, the slag detaches from the wall due to its weight and falls. Pieces of falling slag are called clinkers. Clinkers can grow to be very large and heavy, and when they fall they can shatter and damage the water seal trough. Common practice has been to place protective coverings in front of the water seal trough. One common protective covering has been a mesh of rigid, woven wire hung over the water seal trough. Having a mesh in panel form and hanging it so that it is able to roll up allows the mesh to be rolled up out of the way for maintenance and inspection of the water seal trough, and additionally absorbs impact from pieces of clinker that fall from the top of the boiler and shatter into many smaller chunks.

One disadvantage to using flexible wire mesh panels is that the mesh has a lot of openings, in which ash gets caught and cakes up. Over time the caked ash makes the wire mesh rigid, eliminating the benefits of ease of inspection and impact absorption provided by flexibility.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flexible hinge type baffle for water seal trough protection which is able to be folded out of the way for inspection and is sturdy and flexible for impact absorption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of bottom slope tubes and water seal trough with the present invention installed in a boiler in front of the water seal trough.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention when it has been installed in a boiler.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the plurality of baffle columns.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing one of the plurality of hinge interfaces.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the present invention being folded away from the water seal trough for inspection or maintenance.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the present invention being folded away from the water seal trough for inspection or maintenance.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, the present invention is a flexible, modular baffle panel for protecting a water seal trough 4 in a coal burning power plant from clinker impact. The water seal trough 4 is an expansion joint in the structure of a boiler which is positioned around the perimeter of the boiler at the bottom of the boiler where the boiler meets a bottom ash hopper, which collects and disposes of bottom ash residue and clinker debris. A plurality of hinged plates is arranged vertically and horizontally in order to form a sectional barrier, and is installed and hung between the water seal trough 4 and the interior of the boiler.

The present invention generally comprises a plurality of baffle columns 1 which are arranged serially adjacent to each other. Each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 comprises a plurality of baffle plates 2 and a plurality of hinge interfaces 3. The plurality of baffle plates 2 is serially connected to each other by the plurality of hinge interfaces 3. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of baffle plates 2 is made of sturdy metal in order to be able to withstand substantial impact force from falling or shattering clinker pieces.

Referring to FIG. 3, the plurality of baffle plates 2 comprises a top baffle plate 21, a plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22, and a bottom baffle plate 23. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of baffle plates 2 is the same width, and each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 is the same height. In alternate embodiments, each of the plurality of baffle plates 2 may differ in width and each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 may differ in height. The plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22 may comprise any appropriate number of intermediate plates as required for appropriate coverage in various specific applications, such as, but not limited to, a single intermediate plate, five intermediate plates, or another number of intermediate plates. The top baffle plate 21 is positioned adjacent to the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22. The bottom baffle plate 23 is positioned adjacent to the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22 opposite the top baffle plate 21.

In embodiments where the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22 is not comprised of only one intermediate plate, the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22 comprises a first intermediate plate 221 and a last intermediate plate 222. The first intermediate plate 221 and the last intermediate plate 222 are opposite ends of the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22. Therefore, the first intermediate plate 221 is hingedly connected to the top plate 21 and the last intermediate plate 222 is hingedly connected to the bottom plate 23.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3 is the same. Each of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3 hingedly connects one of the plurality of baffle plates 2 to another of the plurality of baffle plates 2. The first intermediate plate 221 is hingedly connected to the top baffle plate 21 by one of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3. The bottom baffle plate 23 is hingedly connected to the last intermediate plate 222 by another of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3. An arbitrary intermediate plate 223 and an adjacent intermediate plate 224 from the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22 are hingedly connected to each other by another of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the top baffle plate 21 for each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 are aligned with each other. Similarly, the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22 for each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 are aligned with each other, and the bottom baffle plate 23 for each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 are aligned with each other. This arrangement is due to the fact that all of the plurality of baffle columns 1 are the same and are arranged serially adjacent to each other. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of baffle columns 1 and/or the plurality of baffle plates 2 are staggered relative to each other, so that a vertically and/or horizontally uniform grid is not formed. In this embodiment, the top baffle plate 21 for each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 are not aligned with each other, the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22 for each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 are not aligned with each other, and the bottom baffle plate 23 for each of the plurality of baffle columns 1 are not aligned with each other. Staggering the plurality of baffle columns 1 and/or the plurality of baffle plates 2 does not significantly alter or deviate from the spirit and intent of the present invention, which is to provide clinker impact protection to the water seal trough while maintaining flexibility of the barrier for easy inspection and maintenance.

Referring to FIG. 4, in order to generally describe each of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3, an arbitrary plate 24 and an adjacent plate 25 are defined from the plurality of baffle plates 2, wherein the adjacent plate 25 is positioned serially adjacent to the arbitrary plate 24 along one of the plurality of baffle columns 1. The arbitrary plate 24 and the adjacent plate 25 may each be any of the plurality of baffle plates 2, including the top baffle plate 21, one of the plurality of intermediate baffle plates 22, and the bottom baffle plate 23.

Each of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3 comprises a first plurality of hinge knuckles 31, a second plurality of hinge knuckles 32, and a hinge rod 33. The first plurality of hinge knuckles 31 is positioned on the arbitrary plate 24. The second plurality of hinge knuckles 32 is positioned on the adjacent plate 25. When the arbitrary plate 24 and the adjacent plate 25 are connected to each other by one of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3, the first plurality of hinge knuckles 31, the second plurality of hinge knuckles 32, and the hinge rod 33 are positioned concentrically with each other. The second plurality of hinge knuckles 32 is interspersed among the first plurality of hinge knuckles. In other words, in each of the plurality of hinge interfaces 3 the first plurality of hinge knuckles 31 and the second plurality of hinge knuckles 32 are alternatingly spaced among each other.

The hinge rod 33 traverses through the first plurality of hinge knuckles 31 and the second plurality of hinge knuckles 32. In one embodiment of the present invention, the hinge rod 33 is the same width as the width of any one of the plurality of baffle plates 2, and so traverses through only one of the plurality of baffle columns 1. In alternate embodiments, the hinge rod 33 traverses two or more baffle columns from the plurality of baffle columns 1, which has the effect of connecting the two or more baffle columns together. When installed in a boiler, this creates multiple panel sections of flexible baffle that may be individually rolled up, maintained or inspected without having to dismantle the entirety of the baffle system protecting the water seal trough 4. These baffle sections may be customized by users to any desired width that is a multiple of the width of one of the plurality of baffle columns 1.

To install the present invention, the plurality of baffle columns 1 is hung from a bottom slope tube of the boiler, in front of the water seal trough 4. In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of baffle columns 1 is affixed to the bottom slope tube by means of a plurality of bolts traversing through the top baffle plate 21 and an attachment plate connected to the bottom slope tube. In other embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of baffle columns 1 is affixed in front of the water seal trough 4 using other appropriate means. As can be seen in FIGS. 5-6, the present invention may be folded or rolled up onto itself for inspection of maintenance of the water seal trough 4.

The present invention maintains flexibility similar to that of wire mesh screens, allowing for expansion joint inspection, maintenance, and ability to absorb clinker impact. Additionally, the present invention has much less open space compared to wire mesh screens, which may have approximately 40 to 60 percent. Ash will not accumulate in the expansion joint nearly as much as with wire mesh screens due to the greatly reduced open area percentage.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection comprises: a plurality of baffle columns; each of the plurality of baffle columns comprises a plurality of baffle plates and a plurality of hinge interfaces; the plurality of baffle plates being serially connected to each other by the plurality of hinge interfaces; and the plurality of baffle plates comprises a top baffle plate, a plurality of intermediate baffle plates, and a bottom baffle plate.
 2. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the top baffle plate being positioned adjacent to the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; and the bottom baffle plate being positioned adjacent to the plurality of intermediate baffle plates opposite the top baffle plate.
 3. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a first intermediate plate and a last intermediate plate from the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; the first intermediate plate being hingedly connected to the top baffle plate by one of the plurality of hinge interfaces; and the bottom baffle plate being hingedly connected to the last intermediate plate by another of the plurality of hinge interfaces.
 4. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 3 comprises: an arbitrary intermediate plate and an adjacent intermediate plate from the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; and the arbitrary plate and the adjacent plate being hingedly connected to each other by one of the plurality of hinge interfaces.
 5. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the top baffle plate for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other; the plurality of intermediate baffle plates for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other; and the bottom baffle plate for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other.
 6. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 1 comprises: an arbitrary plate and an adjacent plate from the plurality of baffle plates, wherein the adjacent plate is positioned serially adjacent to the arbitrary plate along one of the plurality of baffle columns; each of the plurality of hinge interfaces comprises a first plurality of hinge knuckles, a second plurality of hinge knuckles, and a hinge rod; the first plurality of hinge knuckles being positioned on the arbitrary plate; the second plurality of hinge knuckles being positioned on the adjacent plate; the first plurality of hinge knuckles, the second plurality of hinge knuckles, and the hinge rod being positioned concentrically with each other; the second plurality of hinge knuckles being interspersed among the first plurality of hinge knuckles; and the hinge rod traversing through the first plurality of hinge knuckles and the second plurality of cylindrical knuckles.
 7. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 6, wherein the hinge rod traverses through at least two baffle columns from the plurality of baffle columns.
 8. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of baffle plates is made of metal.
 9. A flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection comprises: a plurality of baffle columns; each of the plurality of baffle columns comprises a plurality of baffle plates and a plurality of hinge interfaces; the plurality of baffle plates being serially connected to each other by the plurality of hinge interfaces; the plurality of baffle plates comprises a top baffle plate, a plurality of intermediate baffle plates, and a bottom baffle plate; the top baffle plate being positioned adjacent to the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; the bottom baffle plate being positioned adjacent to the plurality of intermediate baffle plates opposite the top baffle plate; a first intermediate plate and a last intermediate plate from the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; the first intermediate plate being hingedly connected to the top baffle plate by one of the plurality of hinge interfaces; and the bottom baffle plate being hingedly connected to the last intermediate plate by another of the plurality of hinge interfaces.
 10. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 9 comprises: an arbitrary intermediate plate and an adjacent intermediate plate from the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; and the arbitrary plate and the adjacent plate being hingedly connected to each other by one of the plurality of hinge interfaces.
 11. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 9 comprises: the top baffle plate for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other; the plurality of intermediate baffle plates for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other; and the bottom baffle plate for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other.
 12. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 9 comprises: an arbitrary plate and an adjacent plate from the plurality of baffle plates, wherein the adjacent plate is positioned serially adjacent to the arbitrary plate along one of the plurality of baffle columns; each of the plurality of hinge interfaces comprises a first plurality of hinge knuckles, a second plurality of hinge knuckles, and a hinge rod; the first plurality of hinge knuckles being positioned on the arbitrary plate; the second plurality of hinge knuckles being positioned on the adjacent plate; the first plurality of hinge knuckles, the second plurality of hinge knuckles, and the hinge rod being positioned concentrically with each other; the second plurality of hinge knuckles being interspersed among the first plurality of hinge knuckles; and the hinge rod traversing through the first plurality of hinge knuckles and the second plurality of cylindrical knuckles.
 13. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hinge rod traverses through at least two baffle columns from the plurality of baffle columns.
 14. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of baffle plates is made of metal.
 15. A flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection comprises: a plurality of baffle columns; each of the plurality of baffle columns comprises a plurality of baffle plates and a plurality of hinge interfaces; the plurality of baffle plates being serially connected to each other by the plurality of hinge interfaces; the plurality of baffle plates comprises a top baffle plate, a plurality of intermediate baffle plates, and a bottom baffle plate; the top baffle plate for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other; the plurality of intermediate baffle plates for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other; the bottom baffle plate for each of the plurality of baffle columns being aligned with each other; an arbitrary plate and an adjacent plate from the plurality of baffle plates, wherein the adjacent plate is positioned serially adjacent to the arbitrary plate along one of the plurality of baffle columns; each of the plurality of hinge interfaces comprises a first plurality of hinge knuckles, a second plurality of hinge knuckles, and a hinge rod; the first plurality of hinge knuckles being positioned on the arbitrary plate; the second plurality of hinge knuckles being positioned on the adjacent plate; the first plurality of hinge knuckles, the second plurality of hinge knuckles, and the hinge rod being positioned concentrically with each other; the second plurality of hinge knuckles being interspersed among the first plurality of hinge knuckles; and the hinge rod traversing through the first plurality of hinge knuckles and the second plurality of cylindrical knuckles.
 16. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 15 comprises: the top baffle plate being positioned adjacent to the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; and the bottom baffle plate being positioned adjacent to the plurality of intermediate baffle plates opposite the top baffle plate.
 17. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 15 comprises: a first intermediate plate and a last intermediate plate from the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; the first intermediate plate being hingedly connected to the top baffle plate by one of the plurality of hinge interfaces; and the bottom baffle plate being hingedly connected to the last intermediate plate by another of the plurality of hinge interfaces.
 18. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 17 comprises: an arbitrary intermediate plate and an adjacent intermediate plate from the plurality of intermediate baffle plates; and the arbitrary plate and the adjacent plate being hingedly connected to each other by one of the plurality of hinge interfaces.
 19. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 15, wherein the hinge rod traverses through at least two baffle columns from the plurality of baffle columns.
 20. The flexible hinge type baffle panel for bottom ash hopper water seal trough protection as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of baffle plates is made of metal. 